Transition
by Wicked R
Summary: closely post AWE. Barbossa searches for Jack and his maps. Sparrossa, eventual Sparrabeth.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Promotion

Author: WickedRum

Disclaimer: I have no right to use these characters, Disney does. This is mainly for my own pleasance. I also used one of my favorite lines from Charmed, with all the implications of it.

Summary/Set: closely post AWE. Barbossa searches for Jack and his maps.

Rating: NC 17 for aggression and implied slash.

Pairing: I wouldn't say it's Sparrossa, but there are some mild connotations. Sparrabeth too, of course, can't leave that out.

Genre: simply and purely my usual hurt/comfort, eventually that is.

Barbossa wasn't delighted, not delighted at all, to say the least. To suggest he was royally pissed would be an understatement too. The constant wish to strange Jack would be more like it. He hardly uttered a word since he noticed the map's disappearance other than hissing some orders along with some not so chosen words and his new crew stayed as clear of him as it was possible under the circumstances. Barbossa's reputation was frightening as it was, but now with his constant gruff mood and inclination to be on deck so he can act quickly in case they've spotted something of interest he was adding some to the fable about his obsessional personality. So when after three weeks of hunting to find a little dinghy he was told that Sparrow's colors have been spotted right on the bow, just off the coast of Samana Cay, Barbossa gave the orders for the Pearl to head straight at the small boat full speed and crush it into pieces.

"Yer late, mate," the man in the dinghy said and stood motionless for a while facing the menacing hull of the Black Pearl approaching. It's not that Jack wasn't aware of Barbossa's intentions, but his plan was to jump at the last moment, diving in head first and get out of sight under water. Then he would climb onto the Pearl on his own later, hopefully unnoticed, rather than getting hauled out by his enemy's men. He challenged his old first mate with the look in his eyes for the short while this was possible, his smug displaying an air of authority in the face of danger and one of his greatest enemies. He dared him to touch him with a sudden sparkle of the eyes and then it was time for action. He leaped into the depths like a bullet and set off right under the ship to surface at the other side, hanging on to a rope. He was out of sight there from deck, Barbossa can send him men searching the water as much as he wants, even on that side, he'd just go under, he could do it, advantages to being keelhauled as a young pirate, you'd not be afraid of such things.

Barbossa ordered six men into the water and stumped below deck. He's never been such a good swimmer as Jack, but if he would've been he'd be on the other side of the ship now, right at the water line. No way he'd let Jack away with it this time. He popped his neck out one of the portholes, and there he was, with his back to him. All he had to do was give Jack a strong pull by one of his belts. He surprised the younger priate tugging him through the opening rough, "trying to outfox me Jack? No chance, none of yer old crew's around, got rid of everyone with a tad a loyalty to ye," he intonated in such a way it almost sounded like a self certain song.

Jack struggled his way round out the grip to face him to find a cutlass directed at his neck, but he still managed to put in a good kick at the intimate parts of the other man's anatomy, gaining time so he can draw his own blade, his pistol probably being too wet to work.

"Want to try yer luck?" A new voice was heard from behind him and a man he had never seen before with shoulder length blond hair and piercing sea colored blue eyes, carrying a cutlass came forward. About five others followed, armed with various weapons from machetes to hammers.

"Miscalculating yer position, Jack?" Barbossa found his voice, "here be me partner Vladimir of the Caspian, he's like a pirate lord, but on the vast unmapped areas of Asia on land."

"Captain Jack Sparrow," the younger captain introduced himself.

"And did I mention he was immortal and be wanting his maps back once and for all?" Barbossa continued.

Cornered all around, with the porthole cut off from him, Jack did know when to lower his sword. Not that he would've wanted to flee anyway, he was where he wanted to be, bar a couple of predicaments in the way, namely Barbossa and this new, or more like it very old chap. "That's riveting, but are ye sure they're friends? Cause ye don't want to be wasting good rum on so called friends that turn on ye when ye show them certain maps of any treasure, do ye?"

"Search him," Barbossa ordered.

Jack only pulled back a little when hands patted him all over and didn't resist when his pistol and cutlass was taken off him either. Then, the men assumed their positions directing their various weapons at him.

"Do ye think I'd carry me leverage wit me?" Jack asked airily.

"Come on Jack, ye want to make me maroon ye? Have ye had no enough of that? Where's the map?"

"At the safest place I can think of."

"Mayhap not as safe as you want it to be?" Vladimir stepped to him, ripped his compass out his belt and looked at where it pointed, seemingly aware of the way the unique instrument worked. He was satisfied with the result, "Barbossa, our course is taking us south east," he concluded, "Dmitrij, take the half-wit Jack Sparrow to the brig," he ordered one of his Asian looking dark men, "oh, sorry," he bowed in a way he just saw Jack do when he was introduced to him, "I almost forgot. Would it not sound better if I'd say take the half wit Captain Jack Sparrow to the brig?"

"I'd hate to disappoint ye on that," Jack started in the direction he was supposed to go to avoid to be manhandled again. A couple of weeks in the brig of his beloved ship would not hurt for a better cause. They'd come to him again when the compass fails.

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	2. Underway

Chapter 2: Underway

Barbossa walked into Jack's cell just as angry, if not more than Jack'd seen him when they'd met for the last time almost three weeks before when Jack was shoved into the brig. So far, the older captain of the Pearl had no reason to visit, they were on track to finding the map and otherwise he wasn't in the mood to deal with Jack. Handling the overserious Vladimir was bad enough, whether they'd fought together once against the Crimean Tatars or not. It was like having another Jack on board, a struggle for authority, even though they both had their own men and Vladimir had no interest in the Pearl or achieving immortality, he'd already done that. The compass had so far been leading them to Shipwreck City, made sense if they went by what Jack said, the safest place he knew. But once they sailed though the entrance to the cove, their navigational instrument went crazy, spinning around wildly in all directions and Barbossa came for answers to the owner of the compass, and the men who hid the chart as he didn't exactly trust Vladimir's investigation methods. With Jack's ways of talking round the subject and the Russian's temper, they were going to find themselves in the situation where Jack was dead and they were left without answers.

"Finally some company!" Jack raised himself into a sitting position pretending to be perked up, "not the best I could imagine, but it's nice to see a familiar face!"

"I'm disinclined to change pleasantries with you right now, but I'll be sure to arrange visitation the next time I come across the the little island ye'll be governor of, and I'll make it a different one too so ye'll not get bored with the same scenery. But ye know why I'm not in the mood for pleasantries now Jack?"

"Course I do me dear Hector. Compass' no working. And I'll tell ye right away why not, am I good, or am I good? My bit of the chart I took, the most important part I must say is all around ye. In four directions to be exact, in secret locations. The needle swings all ways cause it's scattered around everywhere at Shipwreck Cove and ye need me to find the pieces. Ye can guess what I want in return. It's not much. Question is what do ye want? The Pearl, or immortality?"

Barbossa found himself in a place between being annoyed and ready to die laughing at the situations Jack put himself into just to bargain with him. "Yer majorly outnumbered Jack. What makes ye think we'd hand over the Pearl after ye told us where the pieces are?"

"Who told ye I won't have help?" Jack curled his mustache.

"Working me into yer trap schemes, are ye Jack? Not like ye," Barbossa said mockingly.

"I never led a mutiny, so do ye have to fear me on that front? Besides, I'll still be majorly outnumbered, won't I? Let me show good faith. I'll tell ye a location up front. A piece of the map is abaft one of the shipwrecks by the entrance of the cove, we've just passed it in fact, the name's Blest Cervus." He stood up energetically and made his way over to Barbossa with some rather swaying steps. "Do we have an accord?"

"Agreed," Barbossa squinted, weary and ready to intercept any trickery. "What do they give ye here to drink? Rum?" He found himself holding out a hand to steady the other pirate, otherwise he would've just got himself dizzy with somebody swaying like that right in his whole field of vision so close. "Ye never know when to be sober, do ye Jack?" He commented.

Jack squirmed away from his grip on his arm and reached out a hand to the wall to take charge on the steadying himself, instead falling forward back into the arms of Barbossa when his legs refused to comply.

The taller pirate couldn't quite get out the way as he wanted, for lack of room in the cell. He didn't bring any weapons with him in case Jack got hold of any, with bare hands Jack was never able to match him, so what was he playing at now. He let the slack body down the ground cautiously, somewhat confused at how light Jack was rather than anything else. But he was still awaiting for some form of deceit coming from the direction of his old captain, so he only regarded Jack from a distance.

The man lying on the floor looked worn-out, rather skeletal without a curse and his face was really colorless, if not grey, Barbossa noted for the first time. There's no way he could be faking that, he established, even if he did fake the expression. But why would Jack show any weakness in front of him willingly. No, something was wrong, he acknowledged surprised. "What the hell now Jack?" He humphed hesitating somewhere between annoyance and curiosity. He looked on dumbly for a moment longer, then decided to to lift him and put him over on the bed, where he was lying when he entered. He had no trouble doing so, Jack didn't move and he seemed as light as a child. Barbossa reached out for the pitcher of water on the floor, still keeping an eye on him in case he was wrong and this was a game. He wanted to pour some water into Jack's mouth, but stopped when the container moved passed his nose. It smelled foul. He shouted at the guard just outside, even though he was one of Vladimir's men, "bring a bucket of fresh water!"

The guard however stepped in, "count Vladimir disallowed any other drinking water than what the crew's not taking anymore and the prisoner's not allowed any food either."

"What??" Barbossa stood, appalled. He had not done anything like that to a man in his brig. He had marooned Jack before, but a blind man could see there were coconuts! "Has he not eaten anything for seventeen days? Drank fetid water?"

The guard winced, "not quite captain Barbossa. Me and my mate Ramsey, we couldn't just watch that. Got him a couple of apples and water at times, captain. Hope you're not telling the count. And I can't bring you that bucket just now either, my master'd kill me, he's right on deck, I'm sorry. If you want him to get any you have to bring him some yourself."

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	3. Ascendant

Chapter 3: Ascendant

Jack stirred to the neck of a flask being pressed to his lips. He felt the thick, sweet and warm flavor of rum, but he didn't gulp fast enough and the longed-for liquid went all the wrong ways, flowing out his mouths and making him cough too.

Somebody cursed and with a disgruntled sigh he placed his palm under Jack's neck and held the flask to his lips once more, "come on Jack, don't make me play nanny! Drink!" He urged.

Jack didn't open his eyes, but took some gulps with success, even if the rum was burning his dry throat. When Barbossa was satisfied with the result, he laid him back down. "Jack, wake up, I need to talk to ye. We found that piece of the map ye indicated. Now where the next one?" He roughly grabbed Jack's jaw and turned his head towards him. The longer Jack played these games the longer he had to put up with Vladimir.

The younger pirate's eyes flickered open with a quiet moan, but his eyes remained sunken when he looked around as if disoriented. He brought a hand up to rub his forehead.

"How do you feel?" Barbossa asked a lot more softly than he'd intended. Damn Vladimir. Seemed like everything the Russian did annoyed him. How were they supposed to get the map if he killed the person who knew the locations?

"I'm cold," Jack muttered faintly, short of breath.

Barbossa looked lost and there were not many things that bewildered the pirate lord. Jack had been the reason for a fair percentage of these bewilderments of his and yet again he had presented him with a puzzle. Barbossa knew from personal experience people were able to resist hunger a lot more, walking around and fighting even after a few weeks. It happened on one of his own ships before when they were stuck in the doldrums with only rats left to eat. Come to think about it, those with spare fat on their bodies were faring better on the long term and Jack wasn't one of those. But still, it's only been seventeen days if he was counting well. No, that shaking couldn't have been put on, he decided. He could've got sick from the water. Barbossa took his coat off and covered Jack with it, "I'll get some blankets later."

Jack pushed the collar of the coat a bit out the way so he could see his companion better as it was his turn to be puzzled. That uneasy voice was far from Barbossa's normal self confident tone. "Hector?" He asked to see if he was only imagining it.

"Aye?"

"What ye want?" Jack curled up a bit to hide his hunger pains. "What do I have to do in return for yer kindness?" He tried to mock him, but ended up taking a few big breaths as all the movement did was aggravate his condition.

Barbossa didn't miss a thing. He produced some corn bread and hard cheese and shoved it in Jack's hands. "That's all ye be having till we find the next piece. Vladimir's rather impatient fe an immortal, he be no as willing to compromise as ol' Barbossa."

"Vladmir? Isn't this yer ship? Why's somebody else giving orders?"

"Don't ye be riling me Jack. I owe him."

"Rather yer trying to keep yerself to yer bargain with him. He'll let ye drink from the fountain when ye help him to his map."

"It's his, he drew it with his own hand hisself."

"Oh, ye turned to righteousness all of a sudden, huh? I can tell ye where the next piece is, the compass still be swinging to the two other directions at the same time, ye still need me after that. The coral reef on the east bound."

"Ye mean on the bottom of the bay??!"

"What ye so disarranged about! So shallow ye can't go with the ship. I can dive fe it, I know where it is."

"Die fe it, more like it," Barbossa spat, not looking forward to his next conversation with Vladimir. Cause given how poorly Jack was, it was probably going to be the Pearl's current captain himself who will spend endless minutes without air searching!

Tbc


	4. Arrears

Chapter 4: In Arrears

Jack awoke once more to Barbossa sitting on his bed next to him, looking at him with a troubled expression. He put a hand on his shoulder when he saw Jack moving and leaned closer, "Jack? Ye were out of it for quite a spell," he said matter of factly, then offered him some water again.

"Ye found the piece?" Jack tried to speak up, but his voice came out all trembling.

"No," Barbossa said gruffly.

"I could point the place out on deck, but I'd need something to eat for strength."

"So would I! I can't give ye any food Jack, ye know why? Cause I don't have any! Been stuck wit ye in here since yesterday when I went fe a little swim, courtesy of ye, then courtesy of ye, Vladmir mutinied against me while I wasn't on board!"

Jack looked at him for a moment, then started laughing, despite the situation, "how did this happen?"

"The loggerheaded dogs are all terrified of his wrath, that's how!"

"We have Captain Vladimir of the Black Pearl, innit?" Jack mused.

Barbossa joined in with the laughing soon, as if manic. He could certainly laugh at things that were not funny at all, but as it became quiet, the air grew heavy between them. It had been better when Jack was unconscious, how are they going to survive each other's company now? They couldn't make up an escape plan, Barbossa didn't think Jack capable of standing up even. Maybe just ignore each other, that's it, he walked over to the furthest wall. And he'd been doing that ignoring quite well for a while when he noticed that Jack was trying to stand up. But why on earth?

"Darn," Jack muttered as he staggered and fell back onto the bed, wondering why his limbs felt so heavy when they were in fact the lightest they've been since he was a child.

"Sorry to pry Jack," Barbossa said sarcastically, "but where the Beelzebub is it ye tryin to run?"

"Ye said they didn't find the piece and unless I don't want to die here wit ye, I need to help them find it."

Barbossa waved him off, "already shouted misself hoarse about it. Vladimir's not one of those who'd listen. Besides, he says he can sense it too it's there somewhere. Some connection of some sort, but he wouldn't leave the ship hisself in case anybody else's got strange ideas. Just out of curiosity Jack, why is it so urgent? What ye going to do next? Cause when he finds it, he'll ask for the next part and when he's got that there's only one direction left fe the compass to point to."

"Who says we get to that part? I've got a plan. I always have a plan."

"And don't ye think we need to work together now that yer incapacitated?"

Jack shrugged, "there's no much to it, but I'll tell ye."

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	5. Aweary

Chapter 5: Aweary

"I understand the plan," Barbossa interrupted, putting a finger to his lips, "ye talk too much. Save yer strength, ye might need it later," he said calmly and gravely.

Coming from Barbossa, Jack found the advice downright hilarious. He looked Barbossa in the eyes to see how serious he was and when he saw some hint of sympathy in there he simply began to laugh again. First it was soft and under his breath, but then it developed into being more loud and he found himself unable to stop. 

Barbossa didn't join him in his glee this time, the hunger was so obviously affecting Jack's mind now too. "What's so amusing?" He finally commented.

"You act as if we were still lovers," Jack choked out between giggles, then fell backwards towards the wall, suddenly all tired out from the effort. He never had the chance to find out whether Barbossa meant any feelings for him even for a moment, or it was all a farce to make him trust him. He pulled his legs up and the other man helped him lie down on his side and covered him with the blankets he brought in for him previously.

"Ye could easily have it all back," Barbossa said idly.

Jack opened his eyes again, "so I can worry about ye stabbing me in the front, no jest in the back?"

Barbossa shrugged, "didn't say forever, did I? Ye can have it back. Just fe now. Didn't we already agree on a truce? Sleep fe a little while, there's nothing we could do right now."

Jack didn't have the energy to oppose, he was very whacked indeed. He briefly considered telling him where to go and how to get there when he felt his palm on his arm, but that would've taken too much effort.

"I need ye on this Jack, I can't get rid of Vladimir alone, so don't ye die on me now!"

Jack managed a smile still, "don't let me then." There was something like a revenge in those words. Barbossa mutinied against him twice, marooned him twice in the meantime and he's making him pay for it three times, just right. He had shot him dead, one, Barbossa was told by Tia Dalma to get him out the locker, oh the irony, two, and now three, he has to try to keep him alive so one of them could have a chance to have the Pearl.

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	6. Old Hat

Chapter 6: Old Hat

He was completely out of it, Jack established himself when he came to his senses again and found himself on the floor, with his back to Barbossa, who was holding him in his arms. "What happened?" He fought off the lightheadedness that greeted him every time he woke up. He could've probably rolled out of the embrace if he really wanted to, but right there and then it didn't seem like an urgent necessity. Everything felt as if unreal, in slow motion.

"Blame yerself fe it Jack, ye were the one who were falling out of yer bed on top of a hardscrabble unawares pirate. Dropping hard on me, then getting hail-fellow-well-met."

Jack considered this, "ye could say it's most comfy to the highest degree," he raised his hands to indicate the same thing with a gesture, but then he couldn't find where exactly to lower them again cause Barbossa's hands were around his waist where his own arms would normally go. Come to think about it, with his head being on the older pirate's chest he felt something pressing hard to his lower back. As they didn't have guns on them, it couldn't been only one thing, or more like a bit of a person Jack was well familiar with. If Barbossa ever had feelings, that was a different question, his arousal has been a fact whenever he was in close proximity to Jack, he could so much as smell it.

"Indeed, some days in a brig are finer than the rest," Barbossa's deep voice resonated in his ear, and he didn't miss the hint.

"Verily, ye be a bawdy piece of scut," Jack retorted, but felt dirtier himself. Why was he sexually attracted to the people who betrayed him, Lizzie, Barbossa...yet without the element of danger, insecurity and the cat and mouse game style of the relationship it wasn't the same for him. Why can't he just love one who loves him back unconditionally? He was a pirate, as much in his blood as they come, that's why.

Barbossa was achingly erect, just a glance at Jack was sometimes enough for that, but holding him brought it to a completely different level. He was a man who lived in the moment, take what you can, give nothing back and decided for an active wait, after all Jack didn't say no. He was used to being the one who seduced, especially if Jack was too much gone in captain mode. He stroked his arms downwards encouragingly in massaging circles till he reached the letter P branded on there and he started tracing over it through the shirt over and over again.

Jack was starting to take deeper breaths and pressed closer, lifting himself higher, making Barbossa's shaft dig deep into the valley between his buttocks, indicating he was set.

Grinning contently to himself to the turn of events Barbossa moved his hands over to Jack's stomach, stroking very gently, the way he knew Jack preferred. "I'll not tire ye out any more than ye already are, I'll do the work," he promised. Sliding under the trousers he lifted them to peek under and let out a "mmmmm" at the familiar sight. He loved these half erect little tucked up things that necessitated some helping action. He gripped and squeezed hard, alternately tracing his fingers over the middle of the tip of Jack's cock with a softness only his old lover knew existed in him. He grinned again at the ease his efforts brought fruit and went wild. He maybe wasn't going to exhaust Jack, but himself for sure. He was now rhythmically moving Jack as he was on top of him, not minding the clothes. The pressure of their bodies was enough to provide the substitute for the tight space his member was aching for.

Willingly or unwillingly, not giving much of a damn either way, Jack let his body respond any way it pleased to the carnal stimulation. He closed his eyes and the closer he came to finish, the images in front of his mind's eyes became clearer and clearer. The slender body in his arms, her skin clean and untouched, the long brownish, blondish curls, those striking dark eyes looking right into him, always passionate, always sad...He suddenly opened his eyes, taking a sharp breath. What a revelation! Lizzie! He'd always been trying to convince himself it didn't matter she killed him. Or more so, that he let himself being shackled by her. He realized what was happening at the last minute, he could've pushed her away before she clicked the cuffs on, but he didn't. He was ready to die for her. Yet it was standing in their way to happiness that she killed him, he couldn't allow himself to love her, but at this moment in time he realized he'll never be able to forget her so he'd better just give up trying. His world has changed all of a sudden, pointless pure bodily pleasures had lost their place. He finally rolled off Barbossa as he should've in the first place.

Luckily for him, Barbossa didn't mind. As far as he was concerned the encounter was done with as well. Panting, he looked for the blanket to clean himself.

Tbc


	7. Rub

Chapter 7: Negotiate

"You've got some talking to do crafty," Vladmir showed his teeth in a maddened expression.

Jack and Barbossa was startled by the man marching in to stand in front of them at the other side of the bars, but neither of the prisoners showed any signs that they were disquieted by the sudden appearance of the current captain of the Black Pearl.

"I know where the next piece is," Barbossa offered helpfully, standing up, "but yer not going to like it. It's in a house at Shipwreck City, at a place unassailable by unwanted intruders magically protecting the Pirata Codex."

"Is this true? Such a place exists?" Vladimir waved the guard over, himself not being all that knowledgeable in buccaneer matters.

"Aye, Sir," the guard nodded apologetically and scrambled back to his place, not sure if giving such news to the count wasn't too unfortunate for him.

"And ye have entrance?" Vladimir addressed Barbossa.

"Only two pirate lords at the same time can countervail the spell," he lied. Vladimir would not know and the crew couldn't really confirm pirate lord matters. He cast a glance at Jack knowingly, it was not as if the younger captain would be in the shape to walk out on his own.

"After I've collected the pieces I've no use for your ship," Vladimir was still sure he still had his own vantage to bargain with, "our previous agreement still stands if you return before sunset," he turned to give the crew orders to dock, waving at the guard to open the cage.

"Lucky I have me own bargaining ship Captain Teague'll not resist," he stepped to Jack and grinned complacently when he cradled his much feeble body, lifted him up without much difficulty and started to carry him out.

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	8. Trance

Chapter 8: Trance

Elizabeth Turner, pirate king, permanent resident at the Teague Sparrow house with her young son while she was familiarizing herself with that codex walked out to the porch as if mesmerized to make sure she was seeing right. When she got more certain that the dumbfounding sight of Barbossa carrying Jack was indeed reality she ran over to them, "what have you done to him?" Her gaze swiped Jack over with her wide open eyes frantically.

Barbossa rolled his eyes, "now, now. Don't ye want to shoot me fe me concern fe Jack."

Jack answered for him, "he's no at fault this time," he patted Barbossa on the shoulder to let his legs down, but continued to hang on to his neck with an arm.

The older captain pursed his lips for a daring look at Elizabeth, looking insufferably amused, but the pirate king ignored him. She helped support Jack up putting a hand on his chest, "what's wrong, Jack?" She asked with considerable confusion.

"Lil tired I was," Jack smiled at her, leaning into her touch and loosing himself in the depth of her eyes for a moment before he continued, "but I'm all right now," Jack attached himself tightly to Elizabeth and let go of Barbossa.

Teague was standing by the door when they got there, he regarded the group for a moment serenely, then nodded, allowing them to enter by muttering some words, possibly a counter spell.

"I demand you tell me what's going on," Elizabeth bit out after they've eased Jack down on the bed, "where is the Pearl if you're both here and what is Barbossa doing here?" Even Teague looked curios.

"Do ye still have the piece of paper I told ye to keep the same place I put it, luv?"

"Of course," she reached into her dress in between her breasts and pulled out the brownish roll, "but wh..."

"Give it to Barbossa," Jack ordered.

"What?!?" Elizabeth got even more befuddled.

"Begod! He's gone addlepate!" Barbossa agreed as well.

"Not as if we have the rest of it now is it?" Jack defended himself, "we'll have to get it back tonight with the Pearl, where it is. So how about some rum, something to eat and a little sleep? Fe both of us, what do ye say mate?" By the suspicious looks Lizzie was giving to Barbossa he didn't have to worry about him disappearing, she was not going to let him out of her sight.

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	9. Hatful

Chapter 9: Hatful

Having left Barbossa with Captain Teague, Elizabeth sneaked into the room Jack was sleeping in just to stop hesitantly in front of the bed. The sight of him evoked powerful emotions in her, it was always up and down with him, being in his presence was like being on sea, being carried by the wind and the waves, an empowering experience, yet you had to give much of your control over what happens to the outside elements. She took the vision in hungrily, she'd always missed him when he was away, never sure if he'd ever return and the fact that this time again he's been through some hardship made her want to cradle him up on the one side, and slap him on the other for provoking it on himself. And then there was that full bottom lip she kept fantasizing about. How would it be if she woke him up by kissing him? She got lost in the imagined feel of those lips moving against hers, hairs from his mustache adding to the sensation, then shook her head to clear the dreamy fog out of her mind. How could she go that far again in her head? She took the last couple of steps to the bed and leaned over. She touched his arm lightly as he was lying on his side, "it's close to sunset," she said softly, not to startle him.

Jack moaned and brought a hand up to rub his face, but only opened his eyes for a moment. With his limbs and eyelids as if made from some heavy material, her voice sounded as if further away.

Seeing his reluctance to wake up and the difficulties he had gathering himself as opposed to his normal jittery manner, she sat by him on the bed and set a palm on his shoulder this time, with her thumb softly stroking up and down his clavicle. Her other hand reached out tentatively too, being drawn to that mouth, but she decided the last moment to cup his cheek instead in the hope to gently ease him back to reality and get rid of those wavy brows the best she could, "time to wake up dear," she whispered right into his ear.

Jack sighed and leaned into the touch, giving into the sensation of love and peace, having more or less chosen to be oblivious for a moment to who and why had treated him with such concern before he'd finally open his eyes. And what a sight that was right away! As she was stretching her hands up he could ogle right into her décolletage. He smiled mischievously and grabbed her hand away from his cheek to blow a polite and fleeting kiss on top of it. That, or it was his face buried in her chest. "I'm awake, I can assure ye," he lifted his head, but meant his stirring manhood. "Dear? What's dear? Nobody e'er calls me dear, but it sure be a nice way to rouse." From his voice, he still wasn't all that ready to jump onto the top of buildings in a single bounce though.

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth ignored the reference to intimacy and the slip of her tongue by changing the subject, but was herself reluctant to let go. She forced herself to straighten up, but still had a palm on his arm.

"I've been better," he gave back, taking note of her pulling away. He didn't want that, like ever. He had never been sure before of what his father'd suggested would be good for the training of a rather inexperienced pirate king, but the time to think in the brig made that more clear for him, "ye finished learning the codex?" He pushed himself up into a sitting position for the conversation, "ready fe the next step? Some piracy in action on me ship?" He grimaced a little, fearing a negative answer, then attempted to take his own mind off that with some more talk, "mind ye, I could've thought ye about everything that's in the book too misself."

Elizabeth nodded, then laughed, "have you got a ship for all that Captain Sparrow?" She was happy to find life in those eyes of his again.

"Well, we'll have to see to that, won't we?" Jack leaned on her for support to stand and walked out with a hand around her waist, grateful she let him, not as much because he physically needed to, but more so because he wanted to be close to her. If he was going to at all, it was best to start on him seducing her as soon as possible.

Tbc


	10. Side By Side

Chapter 10: Side By Side

"Next piece?" Vladimir's acknowledged the bit of the map Barbossa's given him with a snarl and given it over to one of his men to be taken to his quarters.

"I don't have it," Jack shrugged, "and I don't know where it is. I gave two pieces to our Elizabeth over here and told her to keep one and hide the other."

"Put it in the chest," she specified.

"Not that one, the other," Jack said quickly.

"Dead man's chest maybe?" Barbossa inquired a bit surprised, "back at the house then?"

"No, I...Will requested a meeting. He wanted us to give the rings back..."

"The chest went too?" Barbossa cut in, "hehe, sorry mate," he grinned at Vladimir, ignoring the fact the map was just as lost for him as it was for Vladimir, "map's with the Flying Dutchman on the bottom of the ocean..."

"Turner wanted the marriage nullified?" Jack asked at the same time, but before he could be overly happy about it he was attacked by Vladimir.

The Russian had his hand round Jack's throat, keeping him unable to move, but not that tight so he can't choke out the only answer he'd allow, "and I assume you'd have a way to get to it?"

"Take this message with ye daughters of Triton

King's challenger be gone to where ye came from." Jack gave the rather puzzling answer and after a moment of perplexed looks Elizabeth, Barbossa and the crew came closer to search the empty space in front of Jack where Vladimir stood a moment ago, looking for an indication as to what happened.

"Where did he go?" Crewmember Ramsey voiced everybody's question.

"Where he came from, didn't ye hear?" Barbossa stepped back shying away from any possible physical contact with Jack necessary for the spell to be successful right now. He pretty much hated the Caspian, not to mention Vladimir's presence somewhere around there.

"That wasn't fair!" Elizabeth turned to Jack once she got over her awe over the fact that the Pirata Codex contained something that did actually work in reality, "you used me! You used my presence and interpreted Vladimir's threat as danger to the king! You're not even meant to know about that spell!"

"But I do, luv, don't I?" Jack seemed happy with himself, "why do ye think I needed to sleep in the room where the book was? Read it as a lil boy, but couldn't exactly remember the right words," he turned to Vladimir's men and the rest of the crew, "anybody else fe a repeat performance?"

Elizabeth motioned towards Barbossa, "I don't suppose he's a threat to the king too??"

Jack waved, "the only way of not having him chase me is having him on the ship. Besides, together we are stronger and he'll not do anything against me that'll stop him from getting to the Fountain."

"About that!" Barbossa nodded forcefully towards him.

Jack waved him off too, "we don't need the last piece of the map, I've memorized it. And therefore ye need me. For quite a long time. Now all hands on deck, we're lifting anchor!" He shooed Elizabeth in front of him.

"One more thing," Barbossa asked quietly when Elizabeth was out of hearing range, "how so you said the pieces were at the safest place ye can think of it when they were with her!? The one who gave ye to the Kraken?"

"But she came back fe me, didn't she?"

"So did I Jack."

"Why did ye think I let ye come Hector?"

"Ye fancied some adventures in threesome?"

The End.


End file.
